Official Review: Erin's Children by Eileen O'Finlan

[Mariana Figueira]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Erin's Children" by Eileen O'Finlan.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Erin's Children by Eileen O'Finlan tells the story of two sisters, Meg and Kathleen, and their journey following their arrival in the United States of America after leaving Ireland fleeing the dreadful living situation there in the late 1840s'. Meg follows the advice of her friend Nuala and hides her marital status, as servants are not supposed to be married women, and brings her sister Kathleen from Ireland first, rather than her husband.

Kathleen starts working as a maid too with the Pratt family; from the beginning, something is off about them and how they treat her, but because of the shortage of job options and the possibility of ending somewhere even worse, she stays.

Time passes, but eventually, Meg's husband Rory will come to America, and then she will no longer be capable of working as a live-in domestic. Irish men have very poorly paying jobs, so she is concerned about what will happen when she and her husband are reunited, have children, and are required to provide for all of them with only one salary.

I enjoyed this book immensely. Everything about it is fascinating. The characters are incredible, complex, and detailed. The plot started slowly but built gradually and branched into multiple storylines, and it included underlying subjects like xenophobia, prejudices against Catholics, and slavery.

There are two things I was especially fond of; one was the author's ability to represent the character's past and all the sorrow that they have experienced in a way that felt real and that, even coming up several times in the book and having a significant role in the story, was not repetitive. The other was a specific scene where Clara, the youngest of the Pratt's family, points out the duplicity in religion, arguing that good Christians would want to aid people in need even if they aren't Christians, whereas her family only wanted them gone and couldn't care less.

There was nothing I didn't like about the book. I believe there was a formatting issue because, on occasions, the size of the font would change in the middle of the chapter. Also, I'm not sure what the title means, as it wasn't mentioned anywhere in the book, and I didn't come across any references to it. Nevertheless, neither of these things got in the way of my reading.

Because this novel is exceptionally well-edited (I found not a single typo amongst 19th-century vocabulary and Irish slang), and I loved everything about it, I happily grant it four out of four stars. Lastly, the book has some vulgar language, but nothing too bad. I believe anyone who enjoys historical fiction will like it, but I must warn you there are some violent scenes.

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Erin's Children
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[Daborah]

I enjoyed this book a lot, it’s very fantastic book. What I learn from it is, when you are poor, you should not give up however you should work hard until you succeed.

[Ebubechinwaogazie]

The determination to succeed lies in the hands of every individual. What you say and work towards, is what you become. Awesome review.

[Mariana Figueira]

I enjoyed this book a lot, it’s very fantastic book. What I learn from it is, when you are poor, you should not give up however you should work hard until you succeed.

Very true. Thanks for stopping by!

[Mariana Figueira]

The determination to succeed lies in the hands of every individual. What you say and work towards, is what you become. Awesome review.

Thank you for the compliment!

[Yvonne Monique]

It's weird that the author does not make any reference to the book title. However, Erin is probably a reference to the Irish world for Ireland and its children might refer to the immigrants that left Ireland in search of a better life. Great review, very thorough.

[zainherb]

A touching story. Imagine a woman afraid of being reunited with her husband because of the fear of poverty. It is nice that Meg didn't give up trying to succeed. Too bad about the formatting mistake.

Nice review!

[janewillan_1961]

I love this book! Irish-American history, compelling characters, intriguing plot, wonderful descriptions. The book is tightly woven and will pull you in and you won't be able to put it down!

[Koyna]

It is awful how domestic help were denied even the most fundamental right of starting a family. The book seems like an intense read, and something that can keep the readers hooked for long hours.
Great review!

[Mariana Figueira]

It's weird that the author does not make any reference to the book title. However, Erin is probably a reference to the Irish world for Ireland and its children might refer to the immigrants that left Ireland in search of a better life. Great review, very thorough.

Yeah, I thought so too. It is a fantastic book anyway. Thanks for the clarification and the comment!

[Mariana Figueira]

A touching story. Imagine a woman afraid of being reunited with her husband because of the fear of poverty. It is nice that Meg didn't give up trying to succeed. Too bad about the formatting mistake.

Nice review!

Thanks!

[Mariana Figueira]

I love this book! Irish-American history, compelling characters, intriguing plot, wonderful descriptions. The book is tightly woven and will pull you in and you won't be able to put it down!

Me too. Thanks for stopping by and reading my review.

[Mariana Figueira]

It is awful how domestic help were denied even the most fundamental right of starting a family. The book seems like an intense read, and something that can keep the readers hooked for long hours.
Great review!

The thing is they lived with the family they were working for, and that didn't allow for a husband and children. Thanks for commenting!

[Saint Bruno]

I like the book's unique plot. I can understand the protagonist's dilemma. Let's hope she makes the right decision. Thank you for the detailed and insightful review.

[Mariana Figueira]

I like the book's unique plot. I can understand the protagonist's dilemma. Let's hope she makes the right decision. Thank you for the detailed and insightful review.

Thank you for stopping by.